The Little Human
by Meikura
Summary: Based on The Little Mermaid. Ariella works as a barmaid, hoping one day she might escape Laveon. One night she encoutners one of the strange mermaids that Scuttle speaks of in his stories. When she suddenly finds herself with a tail instead of two legs, Ariella is desperate to wait out this strange spell and return to dry land, but will a pair of blue eyes change her mind?
1. Chapter 1: Once Upon a Time

**I decided to write this fanficiton to keep writing while I edit my book. This opening chapter is an experiment to see what kind of response I get. Hopefully you'll like it!**

Once upon a time, in an age where chivalry still lived tucked in the corners of a handsome strangers smile, there was a young woman named Ariella. She lived in a small town, which is now no more than stone and broken pottery, called Laveon.

Tucked away in the great forests, it was often passed by without a second thought by travellers. Passing such a small town was of no great consequence they thought and so they continued on their way.

Those who did choose to stay at the town's inn, known as the _Emerald Ivy_, found themselves enchanted by the charm of the small community. The townsfolk were peaceful; many were local fisherman who spent a hard day down at the river working to feed their families.

Though like every little town, a rotten stench was found pushed into the corner, which was often shunned by those who were of good nature. They turned their noses up at whoever was associated with the stench and though they were of good nature, they allowed themselves the right to judge anything or anyone associated with the stain that marked their good town.

Its name was _The Pirates Hook_ and it was the only pub in town. Those who entered were of bad reputation; thugs, thieves and even retired pirates were known to gather in this small establishment to drink until they were of even worse character.

Ariella's fate had been an unfortunate one from the day she'd been born into the world. Her father, Gregor, had been a pirate, nasty and foul tempered, while her mother had been sweet in nature and timid. Like any pirate, Gregor had taken what he wanted and thus Ariella was born out-of-wedlock, breathing her first lungful of air as her mother breathed her last.

Faced with a wailing infant, Gregor had abandoned the illegitimate child at The Pirates Hook, leaving her fate to the pub owner, Korvin.

Korvin was a businessman and though Gregor was his friend, he had no interest in children and so left the barmaids to raise the little girl. It was only when she became a beautiful young woman that he had use of her.

So when Ariella turned thirteen she began to work as a barmaid, collecting the tips that the toothless customers left her with their sickening grins. She knew that grabbing the small coins from their grubby hands without a smile on her face, would result in their fat fingers curling around her reward and snatching it back. So with a plastered smile, she slowly saved, biting back as the men groped at her behind and shouted lewd comments.

If Ariella was grateful to Korvin for one thing, it was that he never allowed any man to do anything more then grab her, though she was sure that her future would hold a worse fate if she stayed too long.

Three years passed and with every penny she collected, Ariella's hopes grew for a new future outside of the town. As much as she loved the quaint little houses lined along the streets and the smiles people gave one another, Ariella never received a smile from anyone. There were only the whispers of her dirty birth and judgemental looks cast her way as she walked back to The Pirates Hook with her head hung in shame.

Ariella's only bearable company for the three years was the strange old man who sat in the corner every Tuesday night, smoking on his pipe. Tuesday was the only night that she was allowed to take off from work, since it was the quietest night of the week and it was the only night she looked forward to.

The man referred himself as Scuttle and though no one knew his true origins, Ariella was sure he was a pirate who'd travelled great distances to exotic lands.

The white tufts of hair fell around his old, worn face that was dark from the sun. An eye-patch covered his left eye and his right eye shone with a youthful excitement that still held the passion of a young man, eager for adventure.

Ariella would spend half the night listening to the stories he would tell her about strange lands and people who were even stranger. Of flying carpets and apples used to poison young princesses. Then at the end of his story, Scuttle would leave her a gold coin, touch his forehead and leave without saying another word, though Ariella knew this was a promise that he would come the next week.

To say she was living would perhaps be slightly exaggerated; she only lived when she listened to Scuttle's stories, the rest of the week she survived to make it to the next Tuesday night.

Our story begins on a Tuesday night, where clouds have begun to creep into the sky, promising of a storm to come...


	2. Chapter 2: Waiting for a Story

**I hope you enjoy reading this chapter. I wrote this because the little mermaid is my favourite Dinsey movie and it gives me something to do. If you like, please leave a review, it helps me get inspired to write more.**

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Ariella stopped herself from pacing the room a third time as she glanced outside her window to the large clock in the town square. To her great displeasure the hands on it had barely moved and told her that Scuttle's arrival was still half an hour away.

Returning to lie on her bed, Ariella sighed, studying the sky through her window. She hated mulling over what had happened during the day but she could not stop herself from remembering the townspeople's scowls as she had walked down the main street, after fetching some fruit from the grocer.

Part of her had wished to poke her tongue out playfully, or perhaps even lift the hem of her dress to show her calf, but she kept to her demure response of simply looking to the ground as she returned home.

To aggravate people who already despised her was unwise in a small town where life could become considerably harder overnight.

Ariella sat up and studied herself in the mirror. Her pale skin was from lack of sunlight, as she often locked herself away in her room, reading her books over and over; as much as the prospect of adding to her collection of three books excited her, she knew that such pleasures did not come cheaply and so she only allowed herself to buy one new book a year. To keep herself from going insane from reading the same words over and over, she often imagined what might happen if one of the characters might have done something differently and when she, suddenly her eyes would stop scanning the words on the page and her imagination would take her away to a place better than her room.

Reading was the reason Ariella loved her eyes. Perhaps they were the most normal thing about her; a simple blue, not glowing or holding any strange distortion within them. Just two human eyes that let her read as many words as she felt like until she was content.

Looking at her head, Ariella sighed as she brushed down the mass of carmine coloured hair with her fingers. Some of the older and more traditional townspeople thought of Ariella as some sort of demon, since red hair was a very rare sight.

"Maybe I am a witch," Ariella pondered, scrunching up her nose. "Perhaps I could find a broomstick and travel away from this place."

Throwing herself backwards, Ariella listened to the methodical rhythm of her breathing. Her two favourite eyes began to slowly fall to a close and before she knew of what was happening, she was lightly dozing, dreaming of the sandy deserts in Arabian Nights.

When Ariella heard the bang of a chair hitting the floor from somewhere in the hallway, she jolted up, unsure of where she was for a moment, before coming to the realisation of her nap.

Running to the window she saw that the time was well past eleven and knew that Scuttle might have already left. Part of her thought that the only reason he ever visited The Pirates Hook was to see her, since he never ordered a drop to drink and he was always nibbling on the crackers he kept in his bag.

Nearly running into one of the barmaids, Ariella rushed down the stairs to the bar below, ignoring the heckles of the men who were drinking. Turning to the corner, her heart sunk as she saw the table was empty with not even a scrap of paper or golden coin to show that he'd been there.

Perhaps she'd angered him with her absence and she couldn't blame him for that, but a part of her hoped that Scuttle would come the next week so that she might beg his forgiveness.

"Yer creepy ol' friend be gone lass," Korvin said, as he wiped the glass in his hand.

"I know," Ariella replied flatly. "I'm going to bed."

"Hold up." Korvin pulled out a book from beneath the bar and threw it at her. It hit Ariella in the chest before falling to the ground in a heap. "He left ya that. Don't know why you'd wanna waste yer time with a book."

Ariella didn't wait for Korvin to suggest that she throw it on the fire or use it as a mat so that customers could wipe the mud from their boots. She ran back upstairs, the leather-bound book pressed close to her chest.

Any weariness she felt melted away as she struck a match and lit the lamp on her bedside table. Bringing the book to her nose she inhaled the sweet smell of fresh leather and paper and held back an excited squeal.

Opening it, she frowned as she saw a message written on the blank page from Scuttle. Never in all the time that she'd known Scuttle had Ariella thought that his writing would be so beautiful. It was crafted in a way that only the local calligrapher would have been able to write so well and for a moment she was distracted from what was written as she thought about how Scuttle had suddenly become another enigmatic chapter in her mind.

"A pirate masquerading as a calligrapher?" she thought aloud smirking. "Or is it a calligrapher hiding as a pirate? Or perhaps he is a captain, and all well-travelled captain pirates can write with such finesse."

Looking back at the words on the page, she began to read the message he'd left for her.

_Ariella,_

_I apologise that I was unable to meet you tonight as I shall be engaged elsewhere. I brought this book in hopes that the stories within it may keep you entertained until I have returned from my travels. Be at ease, for I will return with more stories to share, but for now I am afraid that the written words in this book shall be your only companions for the next few weeks. _

_Yours Sincerely,_

_Scuttle_

Ariella felt her heart sink at the message and took a deep breath to stop any tears from escaping. Though he'd left her a book, it could not replace listening to his stories and she would surely find the next few weeks, if not months, a torturous series of days with nothing to look forward to.

Turning the page over she decided that while it was a sad occasion, there was nothing to be done of it and that in a good turn of fortune, she had been left a book with many stories in it, for which she could read any night of the week.

The first story was entitled _The Sea Palace_ and it wasn't long before Ariella forgot about Scuttle's departure as she was pulled deeper into the story, reading into the early hours of the morning.


	3. Chapter 3: Journey's Beginning

It was usually the sound of the birds outside her window that woke Ariella in the morning but it was the jolting sound of Korvin's fist banging on the door that rudely woke her up.

"Get up ya lazy cow," he shouted, continuing his banging. "Yer've got chores to do."

With a silent moan, afraid that anything louder might aggravate him further, Ariella got up and quickly dressed herself, tying up her wild hair. Opening the door, she was surprised as Korvin roughly shoved a few coins into her hand.

"Waste all me money on fruit and vegetables again, and ye'll get a slap across the cheek," he warned, storming away.

I_f you ate more of them, perhaps you might see more of your feet and less of your gut, _Ariella thought but remained silent as she made her way down the stairs and onto the street.

Though the clouds cast a greyish cover across the town, it did nothing to dampen Ariella's mood as she walked down the street. The story she'd read last night had been an intriguing fantasy, and her mind kept creeping back to the lulling waves and colourful seabed that was described in the pages.

Before Ariella could stop herself, she began to hum, though the humming itself followed no specific tune. She loved to hum and though she couldn't sing well, she could hum beautifully.

The enthusiasm she showed humming was not looked upon with favour by those she passed by, who instead took two steps to their left or right to avoid having any contact with her, but Ariella was in far too good a mood to be offended by their usual attitude.

Doing her daily shopping usually seemed an unbearably long task but it felt as if she'd skipped through the whole thing without a second thought. She finished earlier then usual and decided on taking the longer, scenic route back to the pub.

When people spoke of Laveon, they would talk of the great river that weaved its way through the town and into the forest, where it journeyed a little further until it reached the ocean.

_Only this river could have such fat trout,_ townspeople gloated, holding up their catch_. Only this river could let children swim safely without fear of being dragged down by debris._

How Ariella envied those small children who were taken down to the river by their parents and taught to swim, for she could not swim. Korvin had found no use in teaching her and she had no one else to instruct her on how to. If she were to start drowning, she was sure the people of the town, who would see her flailing her arms helplessly, would simply turn and walk away.

The water was beautiful in the autumn, just before the cold winter began to knock slyly at their doors with its charming smile and promise of sleep to the trees. It was a rich blue, like the jewels worn on the visitors who passed through town in their gold-plated carriages.

_If only I could swim,_ Ariella thought but shook her head. _What use have I for swimming? When I leave this town I shall go far away, to a city where I might find a job. Maybe a florist, or a baker…._

"Ariella, ya stupid girl, hurry up," Korvin shouted over the roar of the pub.

The good mood Ariella had found herself in all day had dissipated quickly in the atmosphere of the pubs patrons and she was once again faced with the cold reality of drunken men trying to grope her.

Two warm mugs of ale sat on the bar, waiting to be grabbed but as Ariella reached for both, one of the patrons grabbed her wrist and twisted it as he pulled her closer, his hot breath stinging her eyes.

"How much to bed this wench for a night?" he asked and Ariella gagged at the rancid smell that exited his mouth with every word he spoke.

"Ya can't have her," Korvin said, grabbing the man's arm and forcing him to let go. "Don't ya know there are men out there willing to pay for a virgin wife? I've already got a few offers from men who are willing to pay a pretty sum. And you, get back to work. I don't pay ya to stand here."

Ariella felt coldness as she absently picked up the mugs and walked to the people they belonged to; then she kept walking.

Nothing could have stopped her legs from carrying her away from the pub and the further she walked, the faster she went until she found herself standing at the pier. It was a quick flicker of recognition that stopped her from walking over the edge and into the icy water below.

Both her knees buckled and she grabbed the stump as she began to gasp for air, while her throat constricted but her eyes remained dry.

There were a thousand thoughts racing through her mind but there was only one that burnt brightly in her mind; Korvin wanted to sell her for marriage and Ariella knew that she didn't have enough money to run away.

"Why?" she yelled, smashing her fist against the wood. If it was true that a person's dead parent could hear them from heaven, she hoped that her mother could hear her in that moment as she screamed, "I hate you."

A mother's love was supposed to be a daughter's strength but all Ariella could find when she thought of her mother was hatred. Wasn't she supposed to watch after her? Guide her? Yet all Ariella ever said or did seemed to be wrong.

"You're disturbing the fish," peeped a sweet voice from below her and Ariella looked down, falling backwards as she saw a beautiful young woman in the water, with a fish tail gleaming as if it had trapped the sun.

If it had been the mermaids intention to stop Ariella's anger, she had succeeded and very well in her task.

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**I hope you enjoyed, I will now stop updating daily and will move to a more weekly basis. **


	4. Chapter 4: A Strange Exchange

Ariella studied the mermaid, entranced by its innocent beauty, yet shocked at how exposed her body was. While her golden scales crept up her belly and covered her breasts, much of her skin was left exposed. Apart from the seaweed that was draped over her shoulders like a shawl, she had nothing else covering her.

The smooth blonde hair that was sleek against her head had pearls and shells strewn through it and Ariella thought of how cordial they made her look.

"Are you staring at me because I am a mermaid or because I wear so little?" the mermaid mocked in a musical voice. "How can you wear so much? Surely you are suffocating beneath such restrictive cloth?"

"I-it is the appropriate a-attire for a lady," Ariella stuttered, smoothing down her dress feebly with her hands. Compared to the mermaid's tail which glittered like a noblewoman's jewels, Ariella felt horribly plain.

"Such stuffy creatures you humans are," the mermaid teased. "What do they call you?"

"Ariella."

"A pretty name indeed, it is a shame you do not give your name justice." Swimming back so that she could splay herself out like a sacrifice the mermaid smiled. "I am Ursula, first daughter to the king of the Northern sea's and sea-witch to the kingdom of Atlantica."

If Ariella had the capacity to feel anymore overwhelmed in the presence of the mythical creature, she would've surely felt at a loss when hearing that she was also in the company of royalty.

"Well? Have you nothing to say standing in the presence of royalty? Most mer-folk would be honoured to hold an audience with me, yet all you do is stand there gawking."

"Forgive me," Ariella apologised, dropping to her knees and bowing her head. "Seeing a mermaid...seeing you is incredible and unheard of. I thought mer-folks were a myth in the stories I read."

Ursula swam to the pier and grabbed hold of the end, hauling up her lithe figure in an impressive show of strength. She carefully dragged herself to sit beside Ariella running a hand aimlessly down her body.

"We prefer to keep anonymity. Many mer-folk despise humans, but I am thoroughly fascinated by your race. It is why I decided to reveal myself to you."

A fleeting moment of panic ran through Ariella; she knew that when it came to the world outside of Laveon, that her experience and knowledge was limited to the pages in her books and words that flowed from Scuttle's mouth.

"I'm afraid there is very little that I might share about the human world, for I am very limited in my own experiences and barely know anything that is outside my isolated life that I have lived in the pub."

"Dearest Ariella," Ursula chuckled, stroking Ariella's cheek for a moment before Ariella pulled away awkwardly, unaccustomed to contact of any kind. "What use have I for your explanations of human culture? I wish to experience these things for myself."

"I don't understand, what use am I to you then?"

Ursula studied Ariella kindly for a moment before her hand shot out and grabbed her leg. The mermaid's hand was strangely warm despite being covered in water. Her slender fingers gripped Ariella's leg so tightly that she could not pull away.

"I can make myself human but in order to do so, I must make a bargain to the source of magic. A life in the sea must be replaced by one on land, a tail for a pair of legs."

Ursula's words didn't make sense for a moment but when Ariella's mind finally comprehended what the mermaid meant, she began struggle harder against her grip but the more she tried to escape, the number her legs became.

"Calm yourself," Ursula scowled before closing her eyes. The wind began to pick up as the mermaid chanted in a strange language and a light covered the both of them.

Ariella's legs felt strange and she couldn't fight the force that pushed them together. Though she couldn't see them through the white light, it felt like they were being stretched and soon she could only feel one leg, with two very strange feet.

The light soon dissipated and Ariella gasped as she saw Ursula naked in front of her. The mermaid, or human as she was now, seemed oblivious to the shocking nature of her nudity and made no attempt to cover herself with her hands.

Looking down at her own legs, Ariella whimpered as she saw a green scaled fishtail sticking out from her dress in the place of her legs. Under different circumstances she might have found the beautiful emerald scales appealing, but in the replacement of her own legs, she couldn't find the appeal of it.

"Give me your dress," Ursula demanded but Ariella ignored her, reaching out to touch the tail with disbelief. Her tail was try but the small scales were smooth and she found it uncomfortable as she stroked against the scales.

With a frustrated glare, Ursula stood up and though she wobbled slightly, she seemed to grasp the use of legs quite well.

Grabbing Ariella's shoulders, she pulled the dress over Ariella's head. At the sudden exposure, Ariella quickly ripped some of the purple material from the bottom of the dress and wrapped it around her scaled breasts, as she face turned a deep shade of red.

"You should be grateful," Ursula said, pulling on the dress, looking at the material with disgust. "No human has experienced the life of a mermaid."

"But I was happy as a human," Ariella replied, though the words seemed shallow in her mouth.

"Oh don't be such a bore, you'll get your legs back." Pointing to the sky, Ursula said, "In seven moons time you will get your legs back, so I warn you to stay near land during that time. I also warn you, do not let your image be reflected in the mirrors of the mer-folk, for they will reveal your human form and who knows what trouble may befall you if someone should find out what you really are."

Ursula walked by Ariella, making her way down the pier but stopped to turn back at Ariella. "Another warning, you'd best leave the river and head to the ocean before the fishermen come out in the morn, or they might see you. Now go and enjoy my gift."

And with a flick of Ursula's hand, Ariella was flung into the cold, dark water of the river below.

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**I hope you guys liked the chapter. I'd like to point out, I did think about Ariella having her voice taken from her but I found that it might make it a little to difficult to show interaction between her and others and the reason I'm doing fanfic isn't to make things harder on me. Besides, I love dialogue. I don't know when I might update next, I'll try for next Sunday but I do have an assignment due soon and I'll be working hard on that (but if you write, you know there's no better motivation than reviews to get you writing). Have a good week! **


	5. Chapter 5: New World

Sorry for the wait guys, I've been very busy the last 2 weeks, last week of Uni is always a little hectic. So uh, 2 things. First I'm gonna dedicate this chapter to CC, she or he (or the potato chips were you use to get the simpson tazo's) has reviewed the story 3 times and it's always a real confidence boost to know your work is appreciated, so thank you CC. Second, I don't know about you guys but when I read, I sometimes put on music and for this chapter might I suggest Pink Floyd's- Marooned and Cluster One. They're one of my favourite bands to listen to while I write and I think these two songs really helped in setting the mood. Okay dokey, enjoy!

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Ariella tensed as she felt herself engulfed in the black, gentle waves below. She thought the water would surely freeze her blood in an instant; as she began to wave her arms frantically, the thought of drowning crept to the front of her mind with a cruel, taunting smile.

It was after a few moments of fighting aimlessly against the water that Ariella realised that with every small movement of her tail, she was propelled like an arrow from a bow. The water that she so vehemently feared wasn't choking her; every breath she took was like a welcome breath of fresh air in this foreign world, where she was afraid that at any given moment, water might flood her lungs.

Every breath she took stamped out a little more of her nerves until she was left serenely floating in the water, which now revealed itself to be more than a deep abyss. In fact, it wasn't at all as she'd imagined. Ariella had only thought of what she'd seen on the surface; a deep blue mass with sand covering the bottom and a few stray rocks, thrown in by children.

Instead, the world before her was masked in an array of greens and blues, playing shyly with one another in a light-hearted embrace. Fish darted by, unaffected by her presence, now that she'd stopped making such a scene. If fish could think, she was sure they'd think her a foolish girl.

The simple rocks that the children had thrown into the river, at the edge of the bank, had found new friends, along the array of stones that seemed like armour, surrounding the few small plants that grew between them.

Ariella forgot for a moment that she was underwater and tried to speak of how beautiful it was, but all that came from her mouth was a few stray bubbles and she grabbed her throat in surprise.

Quickly she swam to the surface and whispered, "Ursula?"

There came no reply from the dark pier and she sighed. Ariella feared she had a lot to learn of this underwater world and she had no guide to show her. The little information Ursula had imparted to her was of little use to her at that moment and she was afraid that her first few minutes as a mermaid were proving to be a foolish façade.

She knew for certain that staying in the river was a bad idea. Ariella imagined swimming was an efficient form to find the ocean quickly and as much as it distressed her to know she'd leave the safety of the river, she also knew the fisherman would be up soon enough; she had to start swimming, as much as the thought ailed her.

Dipping back below the surface, she got a fright as she pushed with her tail too hard and flipped backwards.

With a frustrated sigh, Ariella straightened herself out. Carefully aligning her body horizontally, she put out her arms and tried once more gently to move her tail. She almost laughed with joy as she felt herself move forward in a smooth motion.

_Okay,_ Ariella thought. _I can do this._

The first hour passed Ariella by quickly, as she struggled to move forward at a steady pace. She found that a sudden wrong movement with her tail flung her in one direction or she stopped all together.

After what seemed an eternity of trials, she finally found herself swimming to a steady rhythm and she fell into a trance like state as she was propelled through the water in a lulling state. The effort it had taken her to learn how to control her body slowly left her mind and she was left simply watching the water and bubbles stream past, like some strange whirlwind she had been sucked into.

There was no warning when she swam out of the river and into the ocean; simply a different taste, which she only thought of vaguely in the back of her mind. It wasn't until the early morning rays of the sun pierced the water's surface and sent streams of light into the water that she was brought out of her trance.

Coming to what Ariella could only think of as a clumsy stop from such a graceful swim, she quickly peeked above the water to get a better look at where she was. To her dismay though, she was greeted by seemingly endless and the only land she could see was far off into the distance from where she'd come.

_I suppose no one can see me all the way out here._

Dipping back beneath the water, she looked around. The ocean was far different to the riverbeds. It was a much more serene blue, with the yellow sand almost inviting her to lie down on its seemingly soft surface, with not one grain out-of-place.

On her left was a beautiful garden of coral, clinging to the small rocks to make a colourful display for the fishes to admire. It seemed to go on forever, leaving small patches of sand to lie on.

Ariella never knew such colour existed in the depths of the water. The fish boasted colourful scales; striped, spotted or just a complex mix of colours on an artists canvas. The only fish she had seen in Laveon were the dead one's, grey and hanging limp from the fisherman's hook.

As for the coral, they rivalled any meadow flowers beauty. Up close they seemed to wave gently with the water. Around a noblewoman's neck, coral looked dry and faded, lacking against a painted woman's face. She gently touched one and it closed up quickly, leaving a red bulb, escaping her fingers.

Ariella smiled, for flowers did not have anywhere near as much personality; they sat around all day, remaining still unless the wind called out to them. The coral had a mind of its own, as did the rest of the ocean, as Ariella was slowly discovering.

_Where might I go?_ Ariella swam forward. _Perhaps it is best to avoid the mer-people. I think I should be quite content simply swimming by myself and exploring such beauty at my leisure. _

With her mind occupied on what she might do with her time, she did not notice the figure swimming towards her. It was only when she saw the fish darted past her that Ariella turned her attention to the frightening creature in front that was slowly drawing closer.

It was a large fish, with no scales but rather grey skin. Its nose was pointed and eyes like black seeds on the sides of its head. The fin on top remained still as its tail moved back and forth, propelling it forward. But it was the sharp rows of teeth that Ariella gasped at and quickly she began to move her tail as fast as she could, unable to turn away, afraid that it might take too much time to try and figure out how to.

If she had not been in such dire danger, Ariella might have paused a moment and laughed at the absurdity of swimming backwards.

Perhaps if she had more strength in her tail, she might have escaped the beast; perhaps if she was swimming the right way, she might also have had a better chance. But as it came closer, Ariella could only watch and whimper at the thought of becoming a large fish's food.

_How funny that I, who have eaten so much fish, will now become a fishes meal,_ she thought, taking a deep breath, ready for the sharp rows teeth that would bite down.

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Dun dun dun :) Til next time guys and gals


	6. Chapter 6: A Pair of Perfect Blue Eyes

Hi guys, I don't know about you guys but I was really excited to watch the episode of OUAT where they finally introduced my favourite Disney princess, Ariel. It got me thinking about who I might cast for the two leading love birds and I think for Eric, it'd be Brant Daugherty with those blue-green eyes and Victoria Justice as Ariel (only with, you know, red hair), with her innocent look, cause after all, Ariel was only 16 in Disney. Anyhow, who would you guys pick as your perfect couple cast? Leave a comment below and now the chapter I hope you've been waiting to read as much as I've been waiting to write. Enjoy!

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Ariella shut her eyes, unable to witness her own demise at the jaws of the ferocious creature that drew closer. She expected to feel its razor-like teeth sinking into her skin but almost let out a small scream when she felt fingers grasp her arm and sharply pull her down instead.

Dumbfounded and still afraid of what might have ensnared her, Ariella kept her eyes tightly closed. The red of her lids turned dark and the water around her suddenly cooled to an almost chilly atmosphere and she wondered if she was dead, with death pulling her down to wherever the souls of the dead were taken.

When her body floated still for a few moments, Ariella finally took the initiative to open her eyes and see the predicament she was in. What she hadn't expected to see was a pair of perfect blue eyes staring back at her.

It was as if someone were holding ice up to her face as she tried to look at the sky on a clear day, but despite such a clear, icy blue, there was no coldness in those deep pits that were not tarnished by any specks of colours. They were warm, holding a gentle concern, if not a slight hint of amusement in them.

The more Ariella studied the merman that had rescued her from the jaws of the beast, the faster she felt heat tiptoe into her cheeks. His skin was like the white sands on the ocean's floor, only slightly tanned by the hint of golden colour that reflected from him in certain lights. And she had never seen such black hair on a person before; she'd only beheld such a colour on a crow or whenever she was tucked away in bed on a stormy night and shadows crept up her walls.

Ariella knew her rescuer had to be a merman to have dragged her so far down that they were hiding among the coral near the opening of a stone cave, but she felt slightly disappointed at seeing his crimson tail which he wielded with expertise. Of course the handsome knight had a shining tail instead of armour.

Snapping out of the trance he'd put her under, sure that it was some merman's trick, the thought of the horrible creature returned to the front of her mind and with a fright, she flicked her tail, hitting the solid rock wall behind her.

_Careful,_ the merman said, putting a gentle arm around her waist. Ariella felt herself go even redder at the intimate contact than realised that he'd spoken without his lips moving. It had been like his voice had been in her head. _You're alright now, the shark can't reach us._

The thought of trying such a thing made Ariella think the sea water was slowly getting to her but she tried anyway, focusing her mind on thinking aloud to say one word; _Shark?_

_You're not from around here,_ he replied with a small, yet deviously playful frown. _Are there no sharks where you come from?_

Ariella shook her head, giving him a small, sheepish smile which only caused him to smile again and she could've sworn that his dimples had smiles on them as well.

_No, I'm afraid this is all rather new to me,_ Ariella admitted, though she held her real origins secretly tucked away. _I simply found myself close by when a wo…mermaid named Ursula happened upon me and suggested I take in the view. So I decided to heed her advice and come and see, but then that horrible shark came and fortunately you rescued me, but I am rather at a loss when it comes to this area of the world._

The merman smiled again and Ariella felt completely at a loss; she'd never seen someone smile so much in her life and with such genuine joy. Was he smiling because it was natural for their kind or because he seemed to enjoy her company? She guiltily hoped it was the latter reason.

_You seem to have had quite the adventure. Anyone who has met my sister often finds themselves in unpredictable events not long after._

_Your sister,_ Ariella repeated and her heart sunk. What horrible luck it was that he would be related to such a headstrong woman.

_Aye, in fact I was out here searching for her once again. When might I ask did you see her last? Perhaps I can still catch her._

Ariella tried not to snort and reply that he could only catch her if he grew a pair of legs.

_I'm sorry to say it was a few hours ago and I've no idea of the direction she was going. _

There was no guilt over her answer since it wasn't a real lie. She did not know whether Ursula would stay in the village or venture out further inland. There were many factors which allowed Ariella to give a guiltless answer and there was something about the merman that made her feel guilty at even giving him a whiff of a lie.

_I'm sure Ursula will return when she gets bored, he shrugged before he raised his eyebrows. I apologise, I've just realised that we've gone an entire conversation without proper introduction. I am Eric, first son to King Triton and heir to the Northern seas and you are?_

_Ariella and I'm afraid that I have no impressive title to follow my name._

Eric smiled drawing a little closer and Ariella felt herself move backwards to keep the space between them.

_No, you're mistaken, Ariella is such a beautiful name, it needs no impressive title to follow it. _

With a small bow Eric took her hand and gently kissed it. _If you may permit me, I'd like to escort you to Atlantica, if that is where you're heading. _

Ariella opened her mouth but quickly shut it again, remembering the use of it under water. A part of her contemplated the shark but another warned her of swimming into an underwater kingdom full of merpeople but it was the smile that Eric gave her once again that finally made her decide.

_I would very much appreciate it, if it's not too much trouble,_ and for the first time, Ariella felt herself smile back at Eric, who took her by the hand and led her further out to sea, towards the mythical kingdom that no longer seemed so mythical to Ariella.

* * *

So hope you guys liked it, leave a comment below if you did, tell me, was it the right image, right colour tail, give us a shout :)


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